August 2, 2016 Source

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya resumed duties today after a brief vacation oversees, the Ministry of Communities said in a statement.

The statement follows a claim last month by the Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) Vice Chairman Denis Deroop that Ramayya had abandoned his post and regional issues had been left unresolved. The Ministry had subsequently said that Ramayya had been given permission for leave and this had been communicated to the Region Six Chairman, David Armogan.

In the Ministry statement today, Ramayya is reported as saying that when he left work on July 15 there were no unsigned documents, contracts or cheques.

According to Ramayya, no financial transaction or processing of worker payments were hampered by his absence as Deputy Regional Executive Officer Bhadase Poonai was performing the functions of REO.

He stated that this information could have been easily verified by both his secretary and Poonai.

“When I left here not one document was on my desk. No contract was left unattended and I was clearly disturbed by the accusation widely circulated in the media,” the REO said in the release.

Ramayya noted that due to the allegations and media reports, several commercial banks refused to process business transactions under the council’s account.

“When I came this morning there was about $6M in cheques that could not be processed,” Ramayya said in the press release.

However, he disclosed that this situation has since been remedied and the banks have now resumed business with the Regional Administration.

“I would never walk off the job when I can give notice. I’ve worked hard to ensure transparency in this region. It is something I have always been fighting for,” Ramayya added.